Fierce Battle

Fierce Battle

"Second Brother, kill this traitor!"

No sooner had the words fallen than a figure appeared, gripping a three-foot-long saber and hacking furiously at Ye Yun.

This person was Wu Heihu. Taking advantage of Zhang Bao's appearance, he had recovered from that domineering fist force, gone inside to retrieve a weapon, and attacked Ye Yun.

Watching the saber slash swiftly toward him, Ye Yun did not hesitate. His figure flashed, and he dodged the incoming blade.

At the same time, he raised his leg and kicked at Wu Heihu's saber-wielding wrist.

Wu Heihu twisted his wrist, gripped the hilt, and blocked Ye Yun's kick by pressing the saber downward.

Ye Yun continued his assault on Wu Heihu, while Wu Heihu refused to yield, using offense in place of defense. The two became locked in battle once more.

On the other side, Zhang Bao glanced at Wu Heihu and Ye Yun as they fought, then turned to Liu Laosan, his eyes gleaming with ferocity. "Third Brother, I truly never expected you to make such a choice.

"I'll give you one chance. As long as you join me in besieging that Ye fellow now, after we kill him, I'll plead with Eldest Brother for you. How about it?"

"Heh heh, Zhang Bao, wake up. Put nicely, we're guest retainers of the Wu Family. Put bluntly, we're the Wu Family's slaves! Do you really think he sees you as a brother?" Liu Laosan sneered.

"Liu Laosan, I gave you a chance and you refused it. Then you can't blame me!"

With that, Zhang Bao raised his long saber and attacked Liu Laosan. Liu Laosan feared him not; gripping his spear, he charged forward and began a deadly fight with Zhang Bao.

Thus, the four of them became locked in constant clashes, and for a time, none could do anything to the others.

Wu Heihu truly was worthy of being from a great Lineage. Not only had he cultivated the Five Tigers Breaking the Gate Saber to perfection, but the true qi within him was also exceedingly deep. For the moment, Ye Yun could do little to him.

At this moment, Wu Heihu was suffering in silence. Every time he attacked, he had to give his all to deal with Ye Yun's wave upon wave of fist force.

Moreover, because Ye Yun had comprehended Half-Step Fist Force, every punch he threw drew upon the power of heaven and earth within five meters around him, making his attacks even more formidable.

After several minutes of battle, Wu Heihu could still barely hold on. Yet as time passed, he gradually began to struggle under Ye Yun's offensive.

Over on the other side, the battle between Zhang Bao and Liu Laosan was even more brutal.

Liu Laosan had been slashed several times by Zhang Bao, his body covered in blood. However, Zhang Bao was no better off; Liu Laosan had pierced a bloody hole through his abdomen with his spear, and blood streamed endlessly from the wound.

Their battle could be described as evenly matched and fraught with peril at every turn.

Here, Ye Yun had also been wounded several times in his fight with Wu Heihu. Fortunately, he had avoided vital areas and suffered only superficial injuries.

During the battle, Ye Yun continuously tried to merge the icy force of Ice Profound Force into the fist force of Ninefold Waves.

But he discovered that this fusion was extremely difficult. The force of Ice Profound Force was highly condensed, while the fist force of Ninefold Waves, with its unceasing, layer-after-layer nature, needed to remain in a state where it could gather or disperse at will.

The principles behind the two kinds of force conflicted, and Ye Yun could not find a solution for the time being.

At this moment, after their prolonged battle, a flaw finally appeared in Wu Heihu's defenses.

Seizing the opportunity, Ye Yun knocked Wu Heihu's saber aside with one punch, then flashed forward and closed in before Wu Heihu in an instant.

Before Wu Heihu could react, Ye Yun drove a fierce punch into his abdomen.

Even though true qi offset part of the fist force, the remaining force still sent immense pain crashing through Wu Heihu's body, as though someone had torn open his belly.

Ye Yun gave Wu Heihu no chance to catch his breath. Once his punch landed, he unleashed several rapid punches in succession, every one carrying the fist force of Ninefold Waves as they struck Wu Heihu's body.

Even though Wu Heihu circulated his true qi with all his might to defend himself, part of the fist force still rampaged relentlessly through his body.

Seeing Ye Yun continue to attack, Wu Heihu endured the tremendous pain, hardened his heart, and unleashed the Wu Family's secret Blood-Burning Berserk Origin Art.

In an instant, Wu Heihu's cultivation surged from the Seventh Level of the Qi Refining Realm to the Ninth Level of the Qi Refining Realm.

As his cultivation increased, his speed also rose sharply. At the critical moment, he dodged Ye Yun's strike.

Seeing Wu Heihu's cultivation soar, a trace of unease rose in Ye Yun's heart. He involuntarily heightened his vigilance, staring fixedly at Wu Heihu and missing none of his movements.

After evading the attack, Wu Heihu used his surged true qi to temporarily suppress the fist force rampaging within his body.

This Blood-Burning Berserk Origin Art was a martial art unique to the Wu Family. Once used, it burned the user's blood and qi to raise cultivation by two minor realms for an hour. When the time ran out, all the blood and qi in the body would be exhausted, resulting in death.

Had Wu Heihu not been driven into a desperate corner, he would never have used the Blood-Burning Berserk Origin Art. If he had not used it just now, he might already have died at Ye Yun's hands.

At that thought, Wu Heihu stared at Ye Yun with bloodshot eyes and said through gritted teeth, "Since I can't live, then you can accompany me to the grave!"

With that, Wu Heihu rushed at Ye Yun with lightning speed, wielding his saber with an aura of mutual destruction.

Facing Wu Heihu in his current state, Ye Yun did not dare meet him head-on. He pushed his movement technique to the limit, leaving an afterimage where he stood before dodging the saber strike.

He had intended to circle behind and attack, but the instant Wu Heihu realized it was merely an afterimage left by Ye Yun, he immediately turned around to search for Ye Yun, causing Ye Yun's plan to fall through.

Left with no choice, Ye Yun could only repeatedly use his movement technique to evade Wu Heihu's attacks. All the mysteries of Treading Snow Without Trace unfolded one by one as his body moved.

While dodging, Ye Yun's mind continuously sought a way to break the current deadlock.

Although Ye Yun could activate the Selfless Realm to break the impasse, Liu Laosan and Zhang Bao were still nearby. He trusted neither of them, and he did not dare risk gambling on Liu Laosan's character.

Even though Ye Yun could not deal with Wu Heihu for the moment, it was no easy matter for Wu Heihu to defeat Ye Yun either.

The two thus fell into a stalemate. However, the longer it dragged on, the more favorable it became for Ye Yun. After all, Wu Heihu's Blood-Burning Berserk Origin Art had a time limit.

Over on Zhang Bao and Liu Laosan's side, Zhang Bao saw that even after Wu Heihu used the Blood-Burning Berserk Origin Art, he still could not do anything to Ye Yun. A thought of retreat could not help arising in his heart.

Furthermore, he realized that they had been fighting here for so long, yet none of the martial artists below the mountaintop had come to offer support. His desire to retreat grew even stronger.

During his battle with Liu Laosan, Zhang Bao began slowly moving toward the stone steps leading down the mountain.

Suddenly, Zhang Bao kicked Liu Laosan flying, then immediately turned and fled down the mountain.

Liu Laosan was struck dumb with shock. Ye Yun had instructed him not to let Zhang Bao escape; this was his last hope of surviving. He roared, "Zhang Bao, don't even think of escaping!"

Before his words had faded, he gave chase at his fastest speed.

Seeing this, a glint flashed through Ye Yun's eyes.

Immediately, Ye Yun began continuously adjusting his position while dodging, seeking the best possible opportunity to deliver Wu Heihu a fatal blow.

At that moment, Ye Yun suddenly spotted a small stone not far away on the ground, and a thought flashed through his mind.

While evading, Ye Yun suddenly exerted force with his foot, kicking the small stone fiercely toward Wu Heihu.

Just as Ye Yun expected, seeing the stone flying toward him, Wu Heihu instinctively swung his saber to block it. At that sight, Ye Yun knew his opportunity had come.